By the time a vendor is presenting to you, they've won dozens of projects like yours and lost dozens more. The deck shows the wins. These questions are about the rest, and the answers tell you more than any case study.
About the work
- Which of the people in this room will be on the project? Pre-sales engineers rarely are. Ask for the delivery lead by name and ask to meet them before you sign.
- Show me a project like this one that went badly. What happened? A vendor who has none is either new or not being straight. The useful answer names the cause and what changed afterwards.
- What will you need from us, by week? Vendors know exactly what buyer delays cost them. If they can't list your obligations, they haven't planned the project.
- What's your staff turnover on client projects? Anything above 20 percent a year means you'll onboard replacements. Ask how handover is done and whether it's billed.
About the money
- What's in the price that I didn't ask for? Licences, environments, travel, project management, warranty. Every unlisted item becomes a change request.
- What would make this cost 30 percent more? The honest list is your risk register. A vendor with no answer hasn't thought about it.
- What happens to the rate if we extend? Rates that rise at renewal are normal; rates that rise mid-project are not. Get the escalation terms in writing.
- Who owns the code, the data and the documentation? You, from the day it's paid for, with no licence back to the vendor unless you choose to grant one.
About the relationship
- How many clients your size do you have, and how long have they stayed? Tenure is the best measure of a services company. Ask for two references who have been clients for more than three years.
- Who do I call when the delivery lead isn't answering? You want a name, a role and a response time, not a ticket portal.
- What do you do when you disagree with us? The answer tells you whether you're buying a partner or a pair of hands. Both are fine; know which.
- What would you turn down? A vendor who takes everything will take your project whether or not it fits them.
Then take references properly
Ask the reference the same questions you asked the vendor, especially the one about what went badly. Ask what they'd do differently. Ask whether the people named in the proposal were the people who delivered. A reference call that takes less than twenty minutes hasn't told you anything.
- vendor evaluation
- due diligence
- references
- vendor selection
The Scopelyst team
Written by the people who run the marketplace, from what buyers and vendors do on it. No guest posts, no sponsored articles.
